


The Ever-Changing Universe and Other Kaiju Matters

by AuteurOnirique



Category: Dune (1984), Dune - All Media Types, Dune Series - Frank Herbert, Frank Herbert's Dune (2000), Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Crossover, Dune crossover, F/M, Jaegers, Pacific Rim Crossover, canon complying violence, drift compatible, lots of plots, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-07 17:40:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuteurOnirique/pseuds/AuteurOnirique
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kaijus rise from the sea, Paul Atreides is the Jaeger program ambassador to Dubai where the hostility of the Harkonnen and the Corrino will drive him to the desert. There, Paul will find answers to questions he never consciously asked himself. </p>
<p>(You don't need to be overly familiar with the Dune verse. A simple visit to the fic's tumblr: and-other-kaiju-matters.tumblr.com will explain everything you need to know)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sextus Roscius and K-Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 
> 
> First, thanks soooo much for clicking on the title! 
> 
> So, this is kind of a weird crossover between Pacific Rim and Dune. More precisely the characters and elements of the plot of Dune are transposed in the Pacific Rim universe. Some changes in the Dune verse had to be done so please don't hate me!  
> As I said in the description, you don't have to be very familiar with the Dune-verse to read it. I explained some points in my tumblr (and-other-kaiju-matters.tumblr.com) If you have only read the first book or only watched the David Lynch movie, you can understand everything perfectly. 
> 
> This chapter is readable for everyone. The rating is only for safety and for further chapters. 
> 
> I hope you will enjoy reading this. If you only read it and leave a single comment saying 'I read it. Are you crazy?' I would be forever grateful. Seriously. I'll even bless your firstborn.

CHAPTER ONE : Sextus Roscius and K-Day. 

 

_« The day the flesh shapes and the flesh the day shapes » - Duke Leto Atreides_

 

 

Osaka - Dubai is a nine hours-long flight. 

Paul Atreides slept five hours and co-piloted with Duncan four. 

During his five hours-sleep, he had the strange dreams again. This time, a little clearer. There was this woman with strange blue eyes and a deep warm voice : « Tell me of the waters of your home-land… » The dreams were extremely disturbing and Paul wished he could sink into black oblivion once in a while. 

He would have kept the commands all the way but he hadn’t slept for the past two days and there was a limit even to the power of tea and (horror!) coffee. Plus, he had never actually been in Dubai. 

The Atreides heir was just stepping out of his private shower when they began their descent. He could already see Palm Jumeirah and The World archipelago, sticking out of the land like a banner: proud and extremely dangerous for the bearer.

The first Kaiju attack ended a week ago and the world was in chaos. 

The first Kaiju was merely dead that the Pan Pacific Defense Corps was formed and started proposing weapons to face this menace with more efficiency. The Jaeger program came along nicely.

The peace that seemed to reign in Dubai looked almost indecent. Half of their city on the water was indecent too. And dangerous. Very dangerous. 

Paul looked at his navy blue three-piece suit and re-arranged the golden hawk, the Atreides family symbol, so he looked pristine. In half an hour, he was to meet the Emperor Padishah Shaddam IV, one of the most powerful men on Earth. One of the most contrastive too. As soon as PPDC was created, funds were researched. The Padishah had remained irresponsive to every call for help until now so now Paul was going to confront him face to face. The confrontation would not be easy and Paul had to admit he was almost unsure of himself : he was alone in unknown territory. 

Well, nearly alone, he thought, smiling at the thought of Duncan and his smooth piloting. And nearly unknown, a sterner voice he recognized as the one of Reverend Helen Gaius Mohiam and did not like. He opened his file concerning the Corrino family. They had been in charge for decades. At the rumor of the Kaiju attack, Mrs Corrino and the four daughters went away to their summer house in Italy. There was another evacuation plan to another summer house in France if things went sourer. But there was a fifth daughter, the eldest one actually, who had stayed. Irulan. Paul looked at her picture. She had all the Corrino traits : green eyes with patrician features and haughtiness written all over her smile. She looked truly beautiful. Somewhat brattish. The heart-breaker kind. She looked rather short compared to her sister, though. 

« Paul, are you drowning in the shower or what ? » Duncan asked. 

Paul shook his head and went to sit in the familiar co-pilot seat.

« Atreides 753 demands permission to land… »

***

Irulan had a very withdrawn memory of the first day the Kaijus appeared. K-Day as they called it now. She hadn’t been close in any way and she hadn’t seen it coming. Just like every person on Earth. 

She remembered waking up and going though her morning routine of prana-bindu exercices, shower, dressing and going to the Hall for breakfast. There, her father was in front of the gigantic flat-screen television, a hand on his hip, the other on his lips, silent and immobile. And Irulan knew it was bad. Very bad.   
The television showed the Golden Gate Bridge in ruins and cars in the ocean. The journalist was nervously fidgeting, her perfect hair slightly astray, drops of water on her face. She was talking very quickly and Irulan had trouble catching the information. 

Apparently a magnitude seven point one earthquake had been registered in San Fransisco Bay and there had been reports of something moving under the Bridge. Irulan frowned at the mysterious mention of « something ». She dismissed it as a big shark or even sharks and went to the fruit bar for some apple pieces. She wondered how it was going to affect the oil prices and if her father was considering sending help. He rarely did so despite (or because of) the growing number of natural catastrophes. Irulan was still wondering why her father was looking so anxious : surely he had crossed more serious situations than an earthquake in a far-away country. She popped an orange slice in her mouth and helped herself with some sugar-free yogurt when she heard it. 

A furious outlandish growl. 

She stopped right here as if the beast was right on her heels. She turned to the television again and, even with the highest resolution with which she was presented, she did not believe what she was seeing. 

A gigantic monster coming out of the water. 

The stuff of pulp science-fiction, B-movies and block-busters on screen, but this time, it was on the news. The 7 a.m news. It was real. Irulan caught her plate just before her breakfast was spilled on the floor. Automatically, she recited the Litany Against Fear. 

I must not fear. 

Fear is the mind-killer. 

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. 

I will face my fear

I will permit it to pass over me and through me. 

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. 

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing… only I will remain. 

She stood there, frozen next to the yogurt bar and saw the journalist scream in horror before the camera and suddenly, the screen went black. 

Her father let his arms fall at his sides. Irulan set her plate on the bar and approached him slowly. 

« What does that mean ? » she asked. 

« That means we are in a different era now, I’m afraid, Irulan. » Shaddam answered. 

He then drew his smartphone from the inner pocket of his jacket and composed what looked like an emergency number. He looked at his daughter while the phone was ringing, nodded mysteriously and turned his back on her when it answered. 

Irulan took the controller he left behind and opened her personal session on the nearest tablet she found in order to take notes. She changed channels until she found one that broadcasted the images over and over in Russian. 

***

The Atreides private jet landed on the Corrino palace’s roof. It was surrounded by Sardaukar in black suits with ear pieces. They spoke Arabic and a heavy-accented English. As soon as they were out of the plane, Paul and Duncan were searched with metal detectors. Duncan’s gun was taken away despite the valid licence. Two men searched the plane. It took ten minutes before they were allowed to enter the elevator with one of the men. 

They went to the first floor in silence. 

Paul was admiring the decoration. A very tasteful mix of the Corrino heritage. Everything was luminous and the air conditioning was perfectly set so that the 40°C of August were totally forgotten. One could easily forget in which century they were hadn’t they been in an escalator. Paul adjusted his hawk one last time. Duncan passed his hand in his hair, earning a stern glare from their silent escorter. 

The situation seemed tense. Tenser than what they let appear. 

The elevator doors opened and the Sardaukar went out first, showing the way across a long corridor to a great door. The guard spoke in his ear piece and the door opened with a buzz and a click. 

The room was magnificent and grandiose. Very far from the simpler (and more elegant if you asked Paul) tastes of the Atreides House in Osaka. All the furniture was in shades of beige, gold and purple. The French windows gave a wonderful view on the ocean but Paul couldn’t help but disapprove : very foolhardy to have an important meeting in front of the danger. A desk was sitting slightly to the window’s right where Shaddam was currently working. On the window’s left, two leather beige sofas were facing each other across a small coffee table. On the walls, two Botticellis (copies, Paul noticed, but he knew the Corrinos possessed a number of original ones to match the Atreides Van Gogh collection) .

The surprise, however, came from the other person present. Paul hadn’t expected Irulan to be here. Serious discussions were expected : he had thought she would attend the dinner or the more formal receptions. But her role was even bigger than they imagined. Here she was, standing by the window, looking at her father working with a serene face that screamed Bene Gesserit training, all blonde and bespoke white tailleur with golden motifs. 

As soon as the door opened, the Emperor rose and greeted them in English : « Welcome ! I trust your journey was well. » Kind but not overly so. Mere hospitality. Paul shook his hand while Duncan stood behind him, silent. 

« It went well. Thank you for having us. »

Irulan greeted them from her position next to the desk and smiled. Paul returned the polite gesture but without the smile. 

« Please. » Shaddam showed the sofas. « Will you have some coffee ? »

« Of course, thank you very much. » Paul replied. 

The atmosphere was so tense he would have to take some Zensunni practice to be able to relax his throat enough to drink. Paul disliked coffee strongly but refusing would have been very impolite. Hosts usually offered him tea but the Padishah was not any host. Paul wouldn’t be surprised if he feigned not having looked anything on Paul Atreides before his visit. 

Paul sat on the sofa while Duncan stood behind him, as usual. He watched Irulan cross the room to the door to ask for the coffee to be brought. She was wearing very very high heels. She reminded him of one of Wong-Kar Wai actresses. Slow mesmerizing walk. She was sportive, her file said. Polo and ballet dancing. They both required balance. 

The Padishah remained silent so Paul observed the silence too, working between his impassive face and the relaxing of his throat. Bene Gesserit and Zesunni. 

Only once three cups of coffee were served did Shaddam speak : « I believe you are here about the Kaiju business. » he offered. 

« I am indeed. » Paul began. « The Pan Pacific Defense Corps will soon release an international cry for help and mostly for funds to develop a new project. The Jaeger Project. The Caladan Industries have already planned on funding a lot of the research and we are expecting every great firm to help. The United States are very enthusiast about this program. » 

« I heard about this… Jaeger program. » Shaddam answered. « Giant monsters springing out of the sea, what should we do ? Giant robots to fight them ? Rather imaginative. »

He took a sip of his coffee. Paul did the same. 

It tasted good. He had already wondered about the strong cinnamon smell that came with the bitter smell but had not expected it to actually taste like cinnamon. 

« The spice melange gives our coffee that very singular taste. » Irulan spoke for the first time since their arrival. Paul was surprised by her deep gentle voice which seemed to hesitate between many accents. « The spice is everywhere in Dubai and in its deserts. It is quite impossible to eat anything produced here without having that cinnamon taste. » 

« Like the smell of the sea in Japan » Paul reflected. 

« I have never been there. »

« Oh, you must. Please, let us know, my mother would love to receive you in Osaka. » Paul offered politely. He was sure Jessica would not care one bit for Irulan but politeness must. Irulan only nodded. 

« So, » the Padishah declared « You want us to fund this Jaeger program without the guarantee of any result. Won’t it take years for the… robots to be engineered and constructed ? And for the men to train adequately ? The Kaijus are a very present menace. »

He pronounced « menace » with a French accent. Paul thought about his French wife. 

« Researchers are already working on the subject. We are not starting from nothing. as we speak, the first engineers are meeting to design the first Jaegers. Another meeting is scheduled in September in Seoul to show their results. In the meantime, countries are encouraged to turn all military forces towards the sea. »

Paul took another sip from his coffee to prepare for what he was about to say. Irulan was watching him, the ghost of a smile on her lips. Paul knew the trick : place a pretty lady next to you so you can watch your adversary while he is distracted. He had no doubts they would compare notes after. He should have studied Irulan’s file in depth. He had no idea what her thesis were about, for example. A grave mistake. Then again, he hadn’t expected her here.   
She was beautiful, that was for sure, but something about her repelled him. She knew she was beautiful and therefore, weaponized her femininity. Paul had difficulties finding a weapon attractive. It was efficient or wasn’t. Irulan was efficient. 

« The other matter I wanted to talk to you about, » Paul eventually said and it sounded too much like a confession for his own taste, « is about Kaijus being a very present matter as you said. The United States advised all the littoral inhabitants to retreat as far as they could in the lands. You must be aware that, by staying in Palm Jumeirah, you are exposing yourself to a Kaiju attack. It could be deadly. » 

Shaddam actually rose an eyebrow at that statement. « So you suggest I do as the United States tell me ? » He looked at his daughter who had the prudence of hiding her reaction in her cup. « I know what the United States said and I am helping my people retreat from the littoral if so they wish. I even sent my wife and daughters away to Italy. However, you must understand, Paul, » His first name was being whipped across his face as if he were a disobedient child. Paul’s blood was boiling in his veins. « You must understand that deeper in the desert, the temperatures are not the same and deeper in the desert, there are the Fremen. People from the capital do not wish to be in close quarters with them. »

« As much as I would like to understand, » Paul replied in clipped tones « I must confess I failed to see what fear Fremen can inspire that can be greater than a Kaiju. » 

The Padishah stood silent for seconds that seemed eternity, his finished cup of coffee in his hand. 

Then, the saviors came. 

Well, if you were a Corrino, you would call them saviors. If you were on the Atreides side, you would rather call them doom. 

With flourish two men entered the office. One of them was tall and well-built and the other was the biggest man Paul ever saw : rolls of fat on rolls of fat under deep red cloth and gold jewels. On the top of his head, flaming red hair in pulled back with gel and on his mouth, a self-satisfied smile; Paul could have recognized him in the dark : it was the Baron Harkonnen. He was on all the covers of economics magazines. He was the literal despot of the world’s market. The Harkonnen Company had the monopole on spice and oil. They literally owned Dubai, including the Palm Jumeirah and the World archipelago. They had the world on a silver platter and they never stopped boasting about it. Spreading their money and power like some kind of bourgeois, Paul thought and had to repress a distaste rictus. Along with the Baron came a strong smell of spice which suffocated the Atreides heir. 

The young man following him was more distinguished but barely. He was wearing a three-piece beige suit with a red handkerchief in his breast-pocket. His red hair had less gel and he smelt less strongly of cologne. His watch however, was just as big and gold as everything the Baron had on his fingers and his shoes were made of crocodile skin. Overall he looked rather dashing : a strong jaw with the shadow of a fiery beard, square shoulders and smoldering green eyes. Unobservant girls must fall for him wherever he goes, Paul thought. 

« Baron, we did not expect to see you so soon. » the Padishah said with little displeasure in his voice. 

« Please, please, we heard you received an Atreides and we couldn’t resist. » the Baron replied with his stale-smelling honey voice. « Plus, you know Feyd, can’t keep him from a pretty girl for long ! » he added with a wink towards Irulan. 

They barely waited for Shaddam’s permission to sit before the Baron was crushing an armchair and Feyd-Rautha was invading Irulan’s personal space. Typical Harkonnen, Paul thought. He tried to relax the grip of his fingers on his cup of coffee. 

« I’ll ask for more coffee » Irulan declared with a smile. 

She barely had the time to make a move when Feyd-Rautha prevented her from moving by placing his arm around her shoulders. She visibly tensed. Paul felt like a privileged spectator watching a panther getting caught by surprise. He doubted few could say they ever saw Irulan ill-at-ease. It was true that Feyd was putting her in a very difficult position where her position as a mesmerizing pretty girl was compromised. Plus, Paul smelt spice cologne from across the coffee table, Irulan’s noise must be going through a nightmare. 

« Don’t flee from me so quickly, bride-to-be » The young man said with a deep gravely voice which would be seductive if he wasn’t effectively trapping her. « It has been so long since we saw each other. »

« Feyd, it has merely be two days. Those are hectic times. Paul was talking about the world’s reaction to the Kaijus’ arrival. » Irulan answered, her deep voice perfectly controlled. 

Not so bad a Bene Gesserit they said, Paul thought. She looked at him expectantly.

« I was indeed » the Atreides heir replied. If he was to negotiate with Shaddam, he might as well have as many allies as he could. « I was just saying that we don’t know a thing about Kaijus yet and it might be more careful not to live on shores while they could still be roaming around. » 

« Where is your engagement ring ? » Feyd interrupted, taking Irulan’s hand in his without her permission. 

Paul saw the goosebumps on her alabaster skin. When she replied, her voice was less controlled : 

« I didn’t expect to see you today and it is so beautiful and precious to me that I don’t want anything to happen to it. » 

Paul looked at her father. As soon as he noticed Paul watching him, Shaddam looked away from his daughter. Paul didn’t miss the disapproval on his face. Yet, he was the one agreeing to the engagement… Agreeing or being forced into… 

« While Paul is here » the Padishah eventually declared « why don’t you expose your very own anti-Kaiju project, Baron ? » 

Paul frowned. What anti-Kaiju project ? Was it why Dubai hadn’t responded to any of their calls ? 

The Baron straightened as he could in his armchair and extended his hands in front of him as a magician ready to perform a trick : « A Wall. » he declared with aplomb. « A great Wall which goes all the way to the bottom where no Kaiju can reach and is higher than the Burj Khalifa. We have the funds. »

Paul wasn’t hearing right. For a minute, he left disbelief cross his face before hiding it behind a blank mask. 

« Better than using violence, isn’t it, boy ? » the Baron asked, turning his little green eyes towards him. 

Then, Paul understood. He understood the charisma of the man. He knew the Baron was not to be messed with but in a single glance, the Atreides heir understood exactly why. The Harkonnen was capable of being obscenely obese and hold half the world in his hand. If you didn’t submit, you will be devoured. The Baron was a well-fed predator with violence in his eyes. Paul felt suddenly afraid. Were the Baron anyone else, he would have tried to convince the Padishah of the madness of such a plan. They didn’t know anything about the Kaijus and if they could destroy the Golden Gate Bridge, they surely could destroy any wall man can build. Plus, what if some could fly ? A wall would be way more expensive and probably a lot less efficient. Wouldn’t that destroy all the maritime traffic and isolate them ? Hiding behind walls was not helping. The Kaijus won’t just go back to wherever they came from because they face walls. Nevertheless, Paul was facing the Baron and now his blood was slowly freezing in his veins. He found the Baron repulsive but he knew his power and now his influence. He could do nothing about this. Not yet. 

He had to retreat and devise a better strategy. 

He set his coffee cup gently on the coffee table and smiled : « I understand. I am sorry for taking so much of your time. Please excuse me : we had a long flight Duncan and me and we still haven’t found an hotel to stay in. » 

Paul stood up. Shaddam stood too be neither Harkonnen did. Irulan stood also and declared : « I’ll walk you so I can call you a taxi. » 

Her father looked surprised at her smile but nodded. He briefly shook hands with Paul and wished him luck and it was as if Paul had never existed. 

Irulan with her Wong-Kar Wai actress walk lead them out of the room to the elevator. The Sardaukar let them all go without any control. Irulan and all those with her seemed to have total freedom inside these walls. No wonder people sought after her company. Paul caught Duncan starring at her behind and shot him a disapproving look. The last thing they needed was a scandal. 

In the elevator, Paul caught her half-aborted attempt at rubbing her skin where Feyd-Rautha touched her. They said nothing for the whole descent to the ground floor. Once they were in the main hall, Irulan asked a Sardaukar to call for a taxi. If only the world knew that men of the most dangerous private army called cabs for the princess… 

« Well… I do hope the Jaeger program will survive without my father’s funds. » She addressed Paul. 

« Would you truly ? » Paul asked, feeling somewhat asphyxiated by all the lies voiced the last half hour. 

Irulan raised an eyebrow at him. She then shook her head dramatically and stepped closer to the Atreides heir. The sweet smell of poppies pervaded his vital space : « You see, Paul, there is one big catch with me… » She did a dramatic pause. Paul felt her breath on the side of his neck and had to lower his eyes to stare at her. « I don’t like being trapped. Gnawing off your own leg is what an animal would do. What would a human do ? A human would endure the pain, feign death and wait for the predator to… remove the threat to his kind» She smiled at him. He understood. She would destroy her father’s interests to be free of the Harkonnen. 

Pretend to be vanquished to win. Clever. Clever and desperate. 

The young woman smiled as if she was on some magazine’s cover and whispered something in his ear, her two hands resting his chest. She spared him a smile before turning her back on him. 

« I like you. We should go out on a date sometime. Maybe in Japan. » She called over her shoulder without stopping. 

« Aren’t you engaged ? » Paul asked. 

« For now. » Irulan answered before stepping in the elevator a Sardaukar was holding open for her. With one last smile, she disappeared inside. 

Another Sardaukar immediately came to announce their taxi was here. Once they were seated inside and on their way to the Ritz, Duncan asked : 

« You haven’t stopped smiling since she whispered in your ear. What did she tell you ? » 

« Cui bono. »

« Cui bono ? » Duncan repeated curiously. 

« Who benefits ? Who benefits from the Jaeger project ? Harkonnen ennemies. Who are Harkonnen ennemies ? Fremen. »

Paul smiled. His trip may not be wasted yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> Here's the second chapter. I hope you'll like it: if you do, please don't hesitate on telling me so. Same if you don't like it. I will love you forever if you ever message me about this story. 
> 
> All the information / bonuses concerning this chapter can be found on the fic's tumblr : and-other-kaiju-matters. If you ever want more information / more head canons / more whatever, please send me a PM, I'll answer it right away!
> 
> This chapter will allude to abuse towards Irulan. Nothing graphic but if it triggers you, please don't read her part of the chapter. (it's under the first little stars)
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading it.

CHAPTER TWO : The sociobiology of falling in love. 

_« Do you wrestle with dreams ? » Fremen funeral song._

 

 

« I am glad you could spare us the time on such a short notice, M. Kynes. » Paul greeted him as soon as he exited the taxi. 

The tall man in shirt-sleeves waiting in the shade only nodded before shaking Paul’s hand. His pale blue eyes were impressive and his skin looked like it had been tanned by the sun a hundred times over. He shook Duncan’s hand too which a lot of so-called important people forgot to do. 

« I understand you offer a way of facing the Kaijus. » Kynes finally said before opening the building’s back door with a card. The building was very far from the luxury of the Corrino house but considering they were at the opposite side of the town, Paul was not surprised. The air conditioning seemed to be half-dead and the Atreides heir was beginning to sweat in his light blue suit. The corridors were nearly desert and there was only one receptionist who glared at Paul and Duncan. The doors were only card-controlled. 

Kynes lead them to what looked like his office. The walls were white-washed but dust from the desert left reddish brown marks on the walls around the shelves. Books were surrounding a single computer. Half of the walls were white boards. The others were covered with maps and one was even a green wall. Paul looked at it, amazed. Kynes had a tight smile : 

« The main topic of research at the Pardot Kynes Institute is how to make some food out of sand so we don’t have to pay twice the price of the merchandise arriving by sea. » 

« This is very useful research right now. » Paul agreed before sitting in one of the chairs facing Kynes’ desk. Duncan took the other one. 

« This is not why you are here. » Kynes stated directly. 

« Not this time indeed » Paul conceded. « As you know, I am against the Harkonnen project of building a wall to protect Dubai from the Kaijus. The Emperor, however, seems to be quite convinced by the project… »

« So you want to look for funds elsewhere. » Kynes concluded. 

« For now, I’ll settle with finding local firms ready to build Jaegers and volunteers to be trained to use them. »

Kynes nodded. He never took his eyes off Paul which reminded Paul of something but couldn’t remember what. He had those dreams again and several calls from Japan in the middle of the night. He longed to feel rested again. 

« I contacted a firm. Tabr Industries. It is local. CEO is a Fremen. He is interested but I doubt he has the funds. Nobody has around here. »

« The United States will deal with the money. Caladan will handle with everything they can’t. » Paul assured. 

A buzz. Kynes pushed a blinking button. « Let them in and bring coffee please. » 

Five minutes later, the door was opening on Paul’s last hope in Dubai. There was a tall man in a black suit with a black shirt. With his incredibly dark eyes and his black hair with side cuts, Paul recognized him as Fremen as soon as he entered the room. He smelled strongly like cinnamon and coffee but it seemed natural, not as if he was drowned in one as the Harkonnens. There was something ancient and wise about him which made Paul want to trust him. 

« Liet » the man greeted Kyne with a small smile. 

Right behind him was… 

The girl of Paul’s dreams. Literally. It was her, Paul could swear on the hawk on his breast. She was smaller than the man she accompanied but she looked taller than Irulan. She didn’t have the spoilt daughter in high heels grace but there was something proud and raw about her which captivated Paul. She had Fremen black hair and dark skin but her eyes were shockingly blue. 

« Stilgar, Chani, this is the man I talked you about : he wants you to start building Jaegers. »

The man whose name was apparently Stilgar, looked at him with a penetrative stare Paul experienced somewhere. The Atreides heir wished he had a file on the Tabr CEO : he felt like an adventurer in an unknown jungle without them. Just like the adventurer, he felt himself be entirely focused on survival. He still shook the man’s hand. He had very warm skin and was very very strong. 

« Paul Atreides, nice to meet you. This is Duncan Idaho, my associate. »

Chani shook his hand too and Paul couldn’t help but think how excellent she would be at kendo. She was smaller and thinner than Stilgar but not less strong. She didn’t offer a smile she obviously didn’t feel like offering. The contrast with Irulan smacked the young man in face. 

So the woman in his dreams existed. She was not a mere product of his lust-driven unconscious. Was it lust ? It was not only lust. Nothing sexual ever happened between them. They just lay and her incredible blue eyes were piercing him when she demanded : « Tell me of the waters of your home-land. »

How was it even possible ? 

The coffee arrived with two more chairs. Paul was stuck between Liet Kynes and Duncan. The office was really cramped… The Corrino broom cupboard was possibly ten times bigger. 

« So » Stilgar said in English with a very heavy accent. « You think Jaegers are a more efficient protection against Kaijus than a wall. »

« I do think so. As we speak we only have one Kaiju specimen to examine. To build a wall means knowing all of your opponent’s capabilities which is not our case. This is why most of the world has decided too build Jaegers and face them : the only thing we know is that our weapons can kill them. We will use that knowledge to defeat them. »

Stilgar nodded. « I agree with you but there is one catch : we don’t have enough material and money in Dubai for Jaegers. We could build one, maybe but certainly not by the rules. Even if I succeed in mobilizing all the other sietches, we won’t have enough. Harkonnen have the wealth, not us. »

« Help will come from the PPDC. » Paul assured. 

« What if the Harkonnen learn that we build Jaegers when they so directly don’t support the program ? Jaegers are meant to be huge, they cannot be brought to the factories without them knowing. » Chani objected. 

Paul saw something of Kynes in her eyes and her accent. The rest was closer to Stilgar. She was related to both of the men, but how ? 

Not the time to be distracted. She just asked a very delicate question. « That is a catch… But I have been told that Harkonnen are more sea-driven and don’t take a lot of interest in the desert..? »

« The Fremen don’t let them progress too deep in the desert. » Stilgar replied with unmistaken pride. 

« Then we will cross the desert to bring what you need. » Paul concluded. 

« You are very ambitious » Kynes replied with a small mocking smile. 

The Atreides frowned, not sure what Kynes meant. He was ambitious but in what way crossing the desert was ambitious ? Surely, it would be safer than to land where the Harkonnen could see them…

« The Fremen will assure you a safe passage. » Stilgar immediately answered. 

« You sound quite eager about the Jaeger program » Paul commented. 

« I am. If the Harkonnen are to build a gigantic wall, they will need builders. Young Fremen in need of money will flood and they’ll take advantage of their number to pay them very little. I’d rather offer them more employment opportunities and pay them better. »

A just king, Paul pinned Stilgar. A king facing modernity and accommodating it. He nodded. 

« I don’t have all the details concerning a Jaeger manufacture on myself. However, we can arrange another meeting so I can bring them. Then, I will send engineers to help with the production. »

Stilgar did not have time to reply when he was interrupted by Chani: 

« You also spoke of training for the Jaeger pilots. You should also send for people to train us. Jaegers will have no use if nobody can pilot them. »

So you are planning on being trained. » Paul said as a question, nearly unable to detach his eyes from hers. He felt more drawn to her by the minute. By the time the meeting was over, he would be smitten with her. 

« It appears she is » Kynes answered. Paul heard disapproval in his voice. 

« She’s her mother’s daughter. » Stilgar added as a kind of justification. 

Paul wasn’t following them. He would have looked at Duncan but he knew his friend did not know any more. 

« Excuse us, » Kynes eventually turned back to Paul and Duncan. « But Chani happens to be my daughter and Stilgar’s niece. As if being co-CEO wasn’t enough. »

Liet Kynes had his first real smile since the beginning of the interview. Paul nodded. So, she was no glorified secretary. Well, how could she be ? All proud, taking no less space than any of the man in the room. She wore a suit as well. Well-suited and black, a feminized mirror of the one Stilgar wore. 

« A very multi-functional future Jaeger pilot then. » He offered politely. 

« Yes and we would really like to keep such a skillful person in the company » Stilgar emphasized with a pointed look to Chani. 

« I don’t know why I shouldn’t try. They need people and I received military training. You too Stilgar. » 

« I’ll enroll when we have Jaegers. » The man replied holding his palms up to temporize. 

« Well, » Paul interrupted. « I suggest we arrange a meeting tonight so we can discuss details about the building of Jaegers and then we will see about training. You still have time : all the trainers are currently busy in Japan, in Australia, and in the United States. » 

After agreeing in meeting in front of the building so Stilgar could drive them to his house (a form of trust Paul wasn’t expecting), Paul and Duncan were in another taxi, waiting to get to their plane on top of the Corrino house. Paul did not know how he felt about seeing Irulan again. 

As soon as he sat in the taxi, he had let his feeling flow back to him. His heart rate had accelerated and he was taking unusually deep breaths. Chani was stuck in his head like a cover by Glimmer of Blooms. Everything about her was new and wild and raw. She was so evident it was hard to read her. Paul was used to girls like Irulan. Chani was completely new. She never lied. Irulan lied as she breathed. 

Irulan was more beautiful, she was a film d’auteur star. She was sassy and surprising. She was the equivalent of a grown man fairy tale princess. Nothing of it was true. Chani probably never even watching a Disney movie in all her life. Chani grew up with wolves and her grace was something she was only vaguely aware of having, not something she worked on. 

Paul was surprised at comparing the two. He had no intention of dating Irulan and Chani never indicated anything concerning her hypothetical attraction to him. He was not functioning rationally, he admitted with dismay. He was trying to make a choice that was not his in the first place. 

He wondered if he should drop some hints about his attraction to Chani tonight. Probably not while they were negotiating. He could not afford to appear emotion-driven or weak. Plus, she wanted to be trained. He was beginning his training in a week. They could be… what was the word ? Drift-compatible. That would explain the dreams… Did Chani have the same dreams ? 

Paul looked at the city through the window. Now was not the time. Now was the time to step into the lion’s den. 

***

« The moon is beautiful but you are lovelier… » A deep gravelly voice whispered. 

Irulan woke with a start. She looked all around her with wild eyes, her hair in disarray around her face. She had fallen asleep on her desk. It had never happened before. Never. She frowned. Her face hurt even more. She had slept but she was still exhausted. Half an hour of sleep did not repay a sleepless night. 

The young woman touched the bad side of her face. The bandages were loose. She would have to re-do them before tonight. Her body hurt from her prolonged awkward position. She did some prana-bindu movements to re-appropriate it and get the blood flow again. She reveled in the dull pain. 

Irulan left her computer and her half-finished essay on the Wall alternative to walk to her bathroom. She looked hard and straight at her face as she removed the bandages. Nothing permanent, thank whatever helped her, but enough to last her a few days. What a barbarous method, she thought. 

To truly own a thing is to be able to destroy it. 

She scoffed at herself. If Feyd-Rautha thought he could own her, he was seriously mistaken. 

She did not scoff however when she saw him waiting for her by the side of the Corrino pool. She had smiled, as she always did and asked why he was here. He hadn’t even answered. Hadn’t uttered a single word all the time he beaten her. It was easier. Easier to pretend that he wasn’t human. That it was just a machine she would have to get rid of because it did not function as she wished. 

The side of her face was red and purple. Soon it would fade in a horrible yellowish-green. What a disgrace.The Harkonnen definitely did not know how to treat good things. On her throat, finger-shaped bruises will force her to wear high-necked clothes for at least a weak. And her arms. It was a miracle nothing was broken. He had hit her in the stomach too, while she was on her knees. As if that was not humiliating enough. 

Irulan wondered what was worse : the fact he humiliated her or that he saw her humiliated. 

She stepped into the blissfully cold shower. She had forgotten to switch the air-conditioning on in her room and her night gown was wet with sweat. She threw it on the ground. Water enveloped her. Her hands ran over her flesh, trying to re-appropriate it after the assault. At least there had been nothing actually sexual about his attack. Just the kick in the stomach. See if you can get any kids after that, it had said. She would have to see a doctor about that. She did not feel anything out of order but… she would like to be sure. 

A sob escaped her. She pressed a hand against her bruised lips to keep it in. Under the cold spray of the shower, the tears in her eyes felt as if they would burn her eyeballs. She screwed her eyes shut: she had the situation under control. She had. She knew what she would need to get rid of Feyd. 

I must not fear…

How strange… Monsters were rising from the sea and all she was really afraid of was a man she could order dead with a snap of fingers. There was this Sardaukar… A bit old. Must have forgotten some of his training. He would snap Feyd’s neck against her father’s orders were she to smile at him. 

I must not fear…

She wasn’t completely helpless. Feyd wanted a film noir scenario. He was going to be disappointed. 

***

Paul and Duncan would not have been able to enter the Corrino House, had Irulan not been here to order them in. The Sardaukar did not like them, obviously. 

The two men entered the entry hall and saw a small army decorating it with red and golden carpets and garish red roses. The Sardaukar were all tense. One of them was trailing behind the Corrino heiress as she walked towards them as if she was in a film noir. She was smiling, proud and playful but Paul immediately knew something was wrong. 

She was wearing aviator sunglasses inside and a high-necked dress which also covered her arms. Her hair was down, covering her neck. She did not remove her sunglasses. 

Unsure of what happened, Paul let Irulan speak first: « If you are here for the date in Japan, I’m afraid I must post-pone it. » She announced playfully. 

« It must have slipped my mind. » Paul answered, entering in her game of lies. « I’m just here to take the plane. I will park it somewhere else, a little outside the city. »

« If it is about tonight’s delegation, the roof is big enough to welcome your plane and all the others’ »

« It is not. I was not even aware you had guests tonight. » Paul frowned. 

« A little impromptu dinner. » She shrugged. « You know, since monsters are rising from the sea, a lot of things have to be done in the emergency. »

Paul had a small false smile. « Will you be there ? » He asked to learn more about the sunglasses. 

« Sadly not. I am a little… tired. » The hesitation lasted a second but it told Paul everything he needed to know. 

« I feel like I should offer my help. » He suggested very calmly. « Your Latin knowledge was very helpful. »

Irulan scoffed and stepped in Paul’s personal space as she had done the last time. This time he knew she just wanted to destabilize him. To use him in some obscure plan he knew nothing about. 

« I am flattered but I would advise you against treating me like some damsel in distress. » She replied. 

At the same time, her hands had found their way on his chest, as if she was re-arranging his impeccable suit, but her grip on the fabric was a little to tight to be only filtry and playful. Irulan seemed to be genuinely afraid. It should have angered Paul, but he remembered his own panic during his confrontation with the Baron Harkonnen. Irulan was victim of the same fear. 

And she was a mediocre Bene Gesserit. 

That only added to her courage. 

Paul did not touch her. He did not want to give Feyd-Rautha another reason to treat Irulan that way. Not when she was holding him with all the sincerity she was capable of having. As if she did not want him to go. 

« I am sure you would enjoy some kendo training. » He proposed. « Gurney, my master, is currently very busy, but I know some very good masters… »

« What a gentleman. » She mocked. « I can’t fight fire with fire. I can’t even be seen disapproving so directly with my father. Corrino is weaker than you might think. I’m a big girl, Paul, I’ll manage. » 

Paul saw the Bene Gesserit training work on her face as she relaxed each of her fingers enough to let go of his suit. There went the sincere Irulan. She smoothed the wrinkles and concluded with a smile : « There you go, all suave and perfect. Good luck with the Jaeger program. » 

Then, she ordered two Sardaukar to escort them to the roof. The Sardaukar following the heiress like a shadow did not leave her side as she walked away without a second glance. 

***

Once in the plane, Duncan checked everywhere for traps, unknown surveillance devices and anything that wasn’t there when they left the plane. Nothing looked out of order. The fuel was nearly full and the engine were fine. 

As he sat on the co-pilot seat, Paul received a call from Japan. He put it on hold and signaled Duncan he was ready for take-off. A Sardaukar guided them out of the roof. The flight was short, it was mostly like choosing a better spot for your car, but it relaxed Paul. He couldn’t help but being angry at Feyd-Rautha for treating Irulan this way. She was in a difficult position without him thinking he owned her. What would Shaddam do ? Surely, he couldn’t let his first daughter be beaten around like that… Or could he ? All of the Corrino capital was invested in Harkonnen companies. If Harkonnen fell, Corrino fell with them. It had been a reckless move from the Padishah but at the time, they had been nearly overrun by Bene Gesserit at that time so the Harkonnen had looked like a lesser evil. 

Irulan would have to watch her father fall if she wanted not to. 

The small ex-military airport was very difficult and landing was a stressful matter. Sand was nearly everywhere. Liet-Kynes was at the control tower and helped them because he was apparently the only one speaking English. 

As soon as they landed and parked in a small hangar, Paul relaxed his shoulders and called Japan back. Duncan checked the state of the plane while the phone was ringing. 

« Paul? Is it a bad time? » Jessica asked at the other end. 

« Well, as bad a time as any, Mom » He replied. 

« Talk about it. Another Kaiju was spotted in Vancouver. It is such a mess. As I’m talking, Lightcap is in a Jaeger with D’Onofrio. She wants to test the Jaeger. »

« This is madness » Paul replied as calmly as he could. « She is our main researcher. We can’t go on in the Jaeger program without her. And Brawler Yukon is the only completed Jaeger. It is a very precious model. »

« Yes, it was what had been said to her and she wiped it under the « Humans beings are getting killed » rug. She was not Bene Gesserit-trained at all. »

« Well, thanks for that. Where is she now ? »

« She is in the drift with D’Onofrio. The Jaeger is starting to move. »

« Please, do keep in touch. Send me a link where I can see that. »

« Do you have a computer nearby? »

« Send it on my small computer. It’s like the Middle Ages here once you are out of the Corrino sphere of influence. » 

« Talking about it, how is it going? You said you’d be back soon. Your father is starting to worry. »

« Has he not his Jaeger training to do? » Paul replied, amused. 

« He has. He even found a drift-compatible comrade to have fun with. »

« Who’s the poor chap? » 

« Stacker Pentecost, no less. They moved a Jaeger at incredible speed. They are the second couple able to do that after Lightcap and D’Onofrio. » 

« Aren’t you jealous ? » Paul teased his mother. 

Not yet. Now, tell me about Dubai. »

« The Padishah wants a wall. A Harkonnen idea. They’re in deep. They are having a party at the Corrino manor tonight. Probably with other countries in favor of the wall. It is not wise, Dubai is basically in the water. » 

« So what are you doing? »

« The Padishah’s first daughter is made from the father’s cloth and she is ready to be her family’s ruin if it means she can be the one to be its rebirth. She directed me to the Fremen. They are desert’s people. Sworn enemies of the Harkonnen. They are very kin on the Jaeger program. I’m in their airport now and I will present the program to them. It will cost us but it is a great investment. »

« I’ll check the finances but I think we can manage it. I’ll can’t stay long: I’m the only one trying to keep your sister from jumping in a Jaeger, you know what a herculean task it is. »

« Duncan says hello. » Paul teased her. Duncan frowned at him. 

« Yes and Alia will answer back when she is twenty-one. » Jessica replied sternly. « When I said I wanted grand-children, I was thinking about something involving you and not teen-pregnancy. »

« Better luck next time! I have to go. I’ll talk to you later! »

He ended the conversation and smiled at Duncan. « It was my mother. »

« Oh. Is she still mad? »

« Not as mad as she could be. But I’m afraid you have to forfeit Alia for at least a month. »

« I really don’t understand: she is willing. »

« And not twenty-one yet. So keep it in your pants a little longer. Now… Let’s see how we can save Dubai. »

***

Liet-Kynes was waiting for them on the tarmac. With him, two Fremen silent and dressed in black were glaring at the new comers. Kynes led them in the small mostly empty airport. He didn’t offer any explanations as to why it was empty and full of sand or where they were going. When they reached what looked like the ruins of the customs, Liet-Kynes stopped and turned to Paul and Duncan: 

« Your suits will not protect you from the desert. You must were these. »

The two Fremen held out two black piece of cloth. Paul and Duncan took them, admiring the tissue and the work. 

« Those are stillsuits. You cannot go in the desert without those. »

« I wasn’t aware we were going in the desert. I thought we were going to Stilgar’s. » Paul wondered out loud. 

« We are. He lives in the desert. » Liet-Kynes answered before leaving them alone to wear the stillsuits. 

Paul and Duncan looked at each other once they were alone before undressing. Paul carefully laid his suit on one of the chairs before examining the full body suit. 

When the Fremen entered the room again with Kynes, they found Paul adjusting Duncan’s stillsuit. The two young Fremen were ready to snicker: no outsider was ever able to wear a stillsuit right the first time. 

Kynes approached Paul who seemed to have finished dressing. He touched the Breathing Mask, the Cap, the Hood and the Catchpockets but everything was in order. Kynes frowned. « Is it the first time you are wearing one? » 

« It is. » Paul replied calmly. 

Liet-Kynes frowned again. Unbidden memories came back to him: « He shall know your ways as if born to them. » 

The prophecy of the Madhi. 

The time has come.


	3. Jaeger Program Extravaganza

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... I don't know who is still reading this, so I have to admit I had fun with this chapter. I hope you all can understand anything I've written.... 
> 
> If you read this, kudos or even comments would be very lovely indeed...

  * _”All rebels are closet aristocrats.” - Leto II Atreides_



 

 

To be fair, Irulan never expected the Ritz. 

That being said, she didn’t expect that either… 

”It looks like the kind of gym one would find in bad motivational movie in which the lower-class hero has to train into so he can make it to the big event that will change his life forever.” Irulan told Paul with a raised eyebrow and a bored look on her face. 

”I knew I could count on your extensive cinematographic knowledge, Irulan.” Paul answered, somehow not able to repress the smile on his lips. 

”Don’t smile at me: this is the moment when I tell you how deeply sorry I am about your father.”

”And this is the time when I tell you I don’t bite into your diversion tactic. You are uncomfortable.” 

”How do you even manage without air-conditioning?” 

”My father died co-piloting Pentecost’s Jaeger ten months ago. The kaiju ripped the right side of the robot, killing Leto while he was still connected to his partner. Meanwhile, Tokyo still stands. My father is a hero, what more could I ask for?” 

”I’m sure that is how you felt the moment you received the new of his death. Now, show me the hell I’ve signed up for.” 

Paul smiled once again and fell in with Irulan’s small stride. 

The new Training Center for Jaeger Pilots was coupled with the Research Center for the Development of the Jaeger Program in a single building. And it really fitted Irulan’s description. It had to be build in a record time with whatever material available as quickly as possible. It was based on Fremen architecture which thankfully kept the building cool enough to train without passing out because of the heat, but also plunged most of the rooms in semi-obscurity which was quite counter-productive for research. Everything had this patchwork quality which was so unfamiliar to Paul that it became uncanny. 

Strangely enough, the harsh rhythm of Irulan’s unforgiving high heels was a raft in the whirlwind of soft footfalls. 

One of Paul’s latest hobbies was to decrypt the Corrino heir. They had an extensive email correspondance after Paul’s father died tragically. On this occasion, Irulan had shown the slightest bit of empathy which had intrigued Paul. Just like the jigsaw puzzle that you play with to calm your nerves, Paul had started playing Irulan. He soon found out that there was no essential difference between the green-eyes blonde princess and an extremely hermeneutic literary text. One should never force the interpretation. One should always be open to surprise. Paul could not say that he cracked Irulan. One does not crack a text. One merely comes to a conclusion on the question one asked the text. Paul’s conclusion was that Irulan would join the Jaeger Program. 

”We don’t have a lot of recruits yet, mainly because this program is still secret. We call it the Sietch Tabr program, in honor of the sietch which funds us and hosts us. Everyone you see here is basically an outlaw.” Paul explained as they walked down the main corridor to the hangar. 

”How romantic.” Irulan replied sarcastically. 

The first rule of Irulan was that she was never completely frank. Lies, half-truths, inventions, symbols, allegories, nothing was simple fact with her personal life. Her essays and articles were strict, rigorous, harsh and unforgiving. They had the cruelty of Bene Gesserit training. They were like a dart stuck in the red center of the mark. With an unexpected literary twist.

Given this information, communication with Irulan was never a slim affair. It was like navigating on a traitorous sea, guided by the song of the sirens which was telling him what Irulan said was true. 

”We are building our first Jaeger. Probably our only Jaeger, given the state of funding, but that will always be better than nothing. Now, we only have two pilot places so selection was quite harsh. You will be the sixth and last trainee.” Paul announced. 

”What about you and your precious girl?” She countered. 

”Chani and I are training to take over Coyote Tango after its restoration. We already knew we were drift compatible so that simplified training. Plus… Well, you should see Chani fight. Put that in a giant robot suit and any Kaiju would run.” 

”Please wipe that drool out of your face.” Irulan replied with a smirk, the heigh of irulanian expressiveness. 

”As you already know, training has to be quick and efficient. No time for joking around when more and more Kaijus are rising from the sea. I found you a room you only have to share with one other person. A woman. Her name is Eiko Ishioka. I’d like to tell you everything will be fine but I’m just going to throw in a comment about not pissing her off.”

”So am I going to fight the people I’m supposed to fight the monsters with?”

”You know the logic: just because there are monsters outside doesn’t mean the monsters inside disappear.”

”That might be the basis of why I am here.” 

Paul smiled at his files and they walked the rest of the way in silence. 

The people in the Center were mostly Fremen, with their spice blue eyes and their long black stillsuits. They all adopted the Tabr dialect despite they being from different sietches and their accents still clashed as they spoke. Most of them were young, full of nervous energy and excitement in being part of the secret rebellion. They all watched Paul with admiration, standing straighter as he walked past them. Irulan watched them all. They had a way of talking, a way of moving even, that was so different from the conventions she was used to. She had been prepared for a completely different vista but the ballet of people rushing past them was strangely familiar. Except no one actually knew who she was. It was unfamiliar. She put up her basic blank calm expression and kept walking next to Paul. 

They actually had to use stairs in order to go down to the basement, where the temperature were fresher and it would be easier to train. The white lights gave a sickening hospital hue to the main training room. No windows either, Irulan noted disapprovingly. 

”Welcome to the training grounds.” Paul announced with a knowing smile. Irulan’s circumspection was obvious to anyone as observing as the young man. 

The training grounds were five persons in tight black uniforms stretching under the supervision of a grey-haired man who looked positively ugly. He turned to the two newcomers with a great dazzling smile which eclipsed his ugliness for a moment. 

”Paul, my boy, glad to see you down there for a change. How are you?” The man said with a booming voice. Irulan noted the implacable authority hidden in the joyful accents. He was just like those teachers who told you, frankly, from the beginning, the limited performance they expected of you and were satisfied when it was met after many visible efforts. 

He turned to Irulan: ”And who might that be?”

That. 

How charming. 

”Gurney, let me introduce Irulan. The last one.”

Irulan nodded to him with a small smile. All humility and deference. Gurney looked somewhat satisfied. He nodded back. It looked severe but had something like flourish in it. 

”Paul told me you would be fitting for the program. No better compliment than that.” Gurney told Irulan. 

The young woman looked at Paul with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged at her: ”I had to make him accept you.” He whispered under his breath. 

Gurney was already rallying the troops: ”All of you! In line! You’re going to meet the new trainee: show what I taught you! This is not how I taught you to be in synch with each other.” His ‘commanding voice’ was loud, booming, enthusiast but ferocious. It reminded Irulan of her military training. The best way to act would be to do what ordered quickly and efficiently and avoid getting noticed too much. The last part was not going to be easy: all in all they were going to be six trainees… 

They were all in line in front of them, all wearing the same tight black uniform, all sweaty and breathing hard. Three of them were Fremen. There were two men and a woman. The woman was tall, slender, and looked deadly. Just like the two men, she had a hard look on her face, as if she were the keeper of some deeper secret which transformed their view of the world. The man next to her was smaller but stockier as well. Not an ounce of fat on his body, of course, only hard muscle and very bushy eyebrows. They all had long black hair in dreadlocks. The last Fremen man was really, really tall. He stood straight with, Irulan realized the irony, some sort of pride that one would recognize in a Sardaukar allowed to open the door for the Paddishah. But there was something in that man, something you could see in all Fremen: they had something inaccessible. Like all people born in extreme conditions, the Fremen developed a sense of self from those very conditions. It made them half-predator, half-prey. The tall Fremen man had this. No, he didn’t have this. He was purely made out of this. As if his flesh was only the extension of this very idea. He could be half-sand and half-harsh winds. 

Irulan couldn’t decide if it was amusing or intriguing. 

The last two men weren’t Fremen. They were from the Suburbs. The last bastion between the world of the Privileged and the world of the Fremen. Hybrid sociological conditions had their toll on the people living in them: they misinterpreted both worlds and made their own. Of course, not every inhabitant of the Suburbs was as catastrophic as the two individuals standing here in line… They were covered in tattoos claiming their appartenance to various groups in History that had claimed their superiority and their masculine strength. Their hair had been shaven recently and they made a point to stand with their chest all puffed out and contempt in their eyes. 

Irulan had the smallest of smiles. She tried to appear strong and professional but not too superior and cold at the same time. Any Bene Gesserit would have seen right through her and understood her message. She wasn’t so sure about her future… colleagues. 

Gurney intervened: ”Everyone, this is Irulan Corrino, Irulan, this is…   
… Stilgar (the tall Fremen, Irulan noted), Harah (the tall Fremen woman), her husband, Geoff (the smaller Fremen) and here, we have the brothers, Faykan and Kohe (the Suburbs boys. Their names sounded Harkonnen but Irulan said nothing)”

”It is my pleasure to meet you and to have the opportunity to train with you.” 

One of the boys (Faykan, if Irulan remembered correctly, knowing that nothing would be more pleasurable to her than mixing their names up, in a sort of childish repulsion game) snickered at her. The other spoke: 

”Tell me, coach,” He addressed Gurney Halleck, completely ignoring her, ”what tests did she take to make it here? Nothing, I guess. She’s a rich, pretty girl (he pronounced ‘pretty’ like an insult) so she can have anything she want. We worked hard to make it here. She did nothing. She’s just going to weigh us down.”

”Oh, I broke my nail, oh my god, please, stop everything, call the make-up team.” The other boy mimicked. 

Irulan felt Paul’s gaze on her. In fact, she was now the center of attention. Well played, Suburbs boys, she thought. She didn’t let her small smile go an inch. Instead, she put her bag down and removed her shoes. She was wearing a plain white tailleur, in some sort of contrast with the tight black uniforms that she hadn’t been aware she was making. She removed her jacket as well and now looked slightly like she was wearing one of the uniforms. Paul took her jacket with a smile. He was in for a show. Gurney would appreciate that. Always one for a bit of drama. 

Irulan walked past the line of trainee to the center of the room where she turned back to face them: 

”I doubt anything I say would convince you. You’re a pragmatic men, your brother and you. Maybe a demonstration could do the trick?”

Irulan hadn’t designed an opponent by name, so the two brothers had a conversation in whispers and small pushes. Finally, Faykan pushed his brother out of the way and walked to Irulan, looking her up and down in order to intimidate her. 

”Faykan, right? How would you like to proceed?” The young woman asked. 

”Doesn’t matter. I’m going to win.” He replied. 

”Fine. Are you ready, Faykan?” 

He didn’t have the time to answer. Classic fighting dirty trick: begin like you’re a gentleman and strike when the opponent isn’t ready. Paul couldn’t help but smile. Irulan just connected her fist with his diaphragm so Faykan bent over and was in line for her to punch him in the face. 

Dirty tricks, dirty tricks, Paul thought, smiling. This side of Irulan was nice. A little warmer, a little more truthful. 

Faykan answered the punches by throwing her on the ground, taking advantage of his weigh. Irulan paused for a moment at the impact. Paul wondered how deep were the wounds Feyd had inflicted on her. The two had remained engaged despite her obvious bruises. Irulan’s very engagement into the Jaeger program was her one-way ticket out of this gilded cage. But Paul had never promised escape would be easy. She would have to prove herself, just like Chani had to prove herself, every day of her life. 

Irulan then made Faykan fall by her side, rolling out of the way right before she could be crushed. When she tried to get up, he got a grip of her hair, dragging her back down.   
Irulan changed completely at this very moment. From the playful fight she used in order to mock the young man, she visibly became infused by panic and fear. The Litany Against Fear kicked in soon enough but Paul had the privilege, for two seconds, to watch Irulan go into full, animal, survival mode. She dug her nails in Faykan’s wrist and got up as soon as she was freed. She then proceeded to kick him down there, making him groan and crawl into a tight ball. 

The young woman then stood straight, pushed her hair back from her face, watched her opponent for a moment and walked back to the line. She stood next to Stilgar, hand behind her back, in the Sardaukar way in which she had been trained. The Fremen looked at her, a miraculous smile playing on his lips. She looked back at him, raising her chin a little so she could meet his eyes. She never did this, raising her eyes: she always expected people to bend to her level, to adapt to her. Stilgar scoffed in a strange, affective way. 

Paul then knew the two of them were made to be drift compatible.


End file.
